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I'm 28 and have no prior martial arts experience. After doing some research, I found Aikido the most attractive MA because it appears to be challenging and promotes a general philosophy I agree with. Now I'm just wondering how older beginners generally fare in class. Do you have to start when your five years old to develop the "right stuff" for MA?

your a young whipper snapper!
I sure hope you dont have to start at 5 to have the right stuff as I didnt start until in my 30s.

Admittedly anything you start at a young age will give you an up in life and will be act as a catalyst for you later in life.

23 is when i started . And it all came together like it was destiny, i got here to US to do my masters from india. Always wanted to learn MA but never had the chance or the will or permission to do it. And walking around, i happened to glance at that one poster of aikido and boom, i was there. I did not see taekwondo, nor did i see wrestling, all i saw was that and there i was. After one year of socializing n trying to be cool that i am doing aikido, i was finally initiated into what aikido is about by my sensei. Since then, i have not looked back, lessons have come hard and in the most unlikely ways, but those have only served to heighten my senses and my appreciation for life. And as i continue everyday, my hunger for training keep growing....Respect to all of you who have that courage to keep walking

I began at..i'd guess around 22. I'm gradually approaching my 25th birthday now. (In april :-p ). Age isn't that important...and truly, Aikido is one of the easier arts on the body - thus being better for older practicioners.

We have had several significantly older students in our classes and the only problems that they suffered were related to lack of bodily flexibility. At 28, I wouldn't imagine you should have much if any difficulty.

I'm 28 and have no prior martial arts experience. After doing some research, I found Aikido the most attractive MA because it appears to be challenging and promotes a general philosophy I agree with. Now I'm just wondering how older beginners generally fare in class. Do you have to start when your five years old to develop the "right stuff" for MA?

i started aikido in 1994 and i was 32 years old then. i really had a hard time doing ukemi especially the back roll.after practice, almost all parts of my body is in pain and i had a hard time holding my tooth brush...hehe. there was a time that i have to rest while in the middle of aiki practice coz i feel like i'm going to faint. i was a hard smoker then and decided to stop this habit if i want to continue my aikido practice. time goes by as i persevered with my practice,i can see some improvement. i told myself, i can do this one step at a time. it's really difficult to start aikido practice in your 30's but if you really want to learn, you have to make lots of efforts and sacrifices. most of my fellow aikidokas at our dojo are in their late teens and in their early 20's. i have observed that most of them can easily absorb what our sensei teaches during keiko. i guess i was a late bloomer in aikido but all i can say is, most of these students who started younger than me don't practice aikido anymore. they have the physical advantage compared to me, but i got the patience to practice and improve myself in aikido keiko. i'm 47 years old now i am practicing for my sandan exam and i think...aikido for life.

I've already posted that I started at 46 (I'm 47 now). Loving it, and expect to be a lifer. A few age-related notes...

Tonight one of my fellow students, 4th kyu, mentioned that she is celebrating her 60th birthday.

Also, I've just started reading a book, "The Gift of Danger - Lessons from Aikido," written by Mary Stein at the age of 80 (and still training almost daily). She started Aikido in her mid-fifties. So far I'm really enjoying the book. I'd recommend picking it up.

Well kids,
I started training when I was 59. This week, after 26 months of continuous training, I finally passed my 5th kyu test. Big smile!!

When I say continuous training, I mean this. A minimum of 4 hours per week on the mat. A maximum of 20 hours. (Only once) I train at my home dojo every class, unless sick, injured or traveling. I have visited more than a dozen other dojos, gone to at least 18 seminars and had the privledge of training under at least 30 very good teachers.

So, I get to have a few opinions about this. Newbie or not.

This has been one of the best things that I have ever done with my life. Don't let age, sex or anything else keep you from exploring this path.

Well kids,
I started training when I was 59. This week, after 26 months of continuous training, I finally passed my 5th kyu test. Big smile!!
...
So, I get to have a few opinions about this. Newbie or not.

This has been one of the best things that I have ever done with my life. Don't let age, sex or anything else keep you from exploring this path.

I'm new to the art myself at 27, and it seems to me that aikido is an art that a lot of people come to later. I suspect this is because its philosophies and motivations are more attractive to adults and it lacks a lot of the punching and kicking that attracts the younger kids who want to be Power Rangers.